A 59-year-old grandfather from San Bernardino, was killed earlier this month by a woman in a Walmart parking lot after having a dispute about a minor fender bender, authorities said Feb. 12.
The elder Mr. Mauk, according to The Press-Enterprise, was driving a custom-built 1998 Chevrolet Camaro Supersport and was trying to find a free spot in the store’s parking lot, when he accidentally collided with the woman’s car as she was backing out of a parking space.
“For whatever reason, the victim stopped and slowly backed his vehicle up and that’s when he had a collision with the suspect’s vehicle,” Capt. Nelson Carrington of the San Bernardino Police Department told KTLA.
The impact of the collision was minor, authorities said, resulting in only a few scratches.
As Mr. Mauk got out of the car to apologize for the collision, the suspect, Shawntece Marie Norton, 36, got out of her car, shot him in the face with a gun, and then drove off.
Officers declared Mr. Jonathan Mauk dead at the scene from a gunshot to his head.
His death has stunned his family, coworkers, and community.
“I cried when I found out he got killed,” Lee Hall, a friend and coworker, told KTLA. “That’s what he loved—cars. He probably would have fixed the lady’s car for nothing, but she ended up shooting him.”
The victim’s son said he couldn’t understand why anyone would kill his father over such a minor incident.
“I want the community to understand the type of loss that is suffered not only by his family but by all of us,” Mr. Matthew Mauk told KTLA. “If you broke down in front of an auto parts store and he happened to be there, he’s the kind of guy that would offer to help.”
Ms. Norton was arrested Feb. 6, and is being held without bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. She is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 15.
